5 Best Hotels in Side Trips from Montreal, Quebec

On a bank of the Ottawa River, with its own marina, this grand log-built hotel provides rustic luxury, local flavor, beautiful grounds, great views, and heaps of activities—no wonder it's an annual family destination for many well-heeled Canadians. Every window seems positioned to offer a fine vista, especially in the restaurants, where the menu makes good use of locally sourced ingredients. Some 10,000 red cedar logs went into the construction of the main building, centered on a six-sided stone fireplace. Kids are especially well entertained, with pinball, pools, water sports, mountain bikes, a mini cinema, and even a race track for remote-control cars.

The centerpiece of the Tremblant resort area takes its cues from the grand 19th-century railroad "castle hotels" scattered throughout Canada. The 22-year-old hotel features wood paneling, copper and wrought-iron details, stained glass, and a gorgeous three-sided stone fireplace in the renovated lobby and bar area, which is furnished with sleek Danish-inspired furniture and treetop side tables. During ski season, guests on the Gold Floor receive complimentary breakfast and evening appetizers. Skiers can zoom off the mountain right into the ground-level Ricochet Café and Terrasse, near the full-service spa. The vegan creations at Restaurant Choux Gras are especially noteworthy.

At this 1,200-acre resort you can relax in a contemporary room with a valley view or commune with nature in a rustic-style cabin with a fireplace, and there are activities aplenty. In winter, you can ski out from many rooms; in the spring, summer, and fall, you can get your golfing in; and year-round you can indulge your senses at Spa Relaxia—there are even spa packages for kids. The French cuisine at L'Ambroisie restaurant is good, with entrées such as salmon rotolo with balsamic sauce and duck breast with black cherries. On a historical note, this place started out as a log structure with about a dozen rooms, built by Josephine Hartford Bryce, whose grandfather founded the A&P grocery chain.

A longtime favorite with Montrealers, this hotel has seen better days, but it remains a good choice for active types wanting to expend some energy. Built in the 1930s, this rustic spot in the Laurentians, near the lovely Lac Ste-Adèle, offers a good range of year-round activities. These include skiing, ice-climbing, skating on the lake, and snowshoeing with a trapper in winter, and horseback riding, golf packages, and mountain biking in summer. And if you overwork your muscles, massage therapy is available. Rooms and chalets, furnished with Canadian pine, have a rustic appeal and some have a view of the lake. For business guests there are various meeting rooms and conference amenities.

At this Scandinavian-style log-cabin hotel, on 13½ acres on the shore of Lac Ouimet, you'll find great year-round amenities and activities for families and sports lovers and a resort-style feel that survives its busy conference trade schedule. Rooms, from studios to two-bedroom suites, are spacious, with kitchenettes, stone fireplaces, and balconies that overlook the water. The indoor-outdoor Whisky Bar, which overlooks the lake, serves light bistro food; the more formal Chez Borivage has a good wine cellar and specializes in French and Québécois cuisine. Families will appreciate the game room for teens, the pool and skating rink, and activities that include making summer bonfires on the beach and taffy on the winter snow.